Friday, September 23, 2011

Beach In The City


I have some exciting news! If you're a follower of our blog, you will know that we have gone to the Caribbean for Christmas twice in the last 3 years.  This year we thought we would change it up.  "A" has never been to New York City and I thought the most appropriate way to introduce her to NYC is during Christmas!  You've seen it in the movies, how wonderful and magical the city can be during the Holidays and this is what I want her to experience.

The most important decision of this trip was the hotel.  Location is everything in NYC.  Though they have a great public transit system, I find it best just to walk everywhere and experience what the city is all about. There is a certain energy you feel when you walk the streets of NYC and I wanted "A" to have that.

I want to share with you all how we decided on our hotel.  We found that it was a great way to narrow down your hotel options for a city vacation especially when there are so many wonderful hotels to choose from.
  • Create a personal google map - you can do this if you have a gmail account.  Simply go to maps, then create maps.
  • Mark all the sights, restaurants and shops you want to visit - this can give you an overview of how you want to plan your trip. It will also show you what the most convenient spot is to have your hotel.
  • Search hotels - on the map you will find the most convenient hotels that is within the vicinity of your plans.  Once you've done that, go on tripadvisor and do your research.
Our map for Christmas 2011
I know it seems simple enough but it really helped us on narrowing down our options.

Royalton Lobby
With all that said, I am excited to let all of you know that we will be staying at the Royalton New York! This hotel to me SCREAMS New York.  It's a wonderful boutique hotel located right in Midtown Manhattan, steps away from Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, Central Park and 5th Avenue.  To us this was the perfect hotel.  

When we go on city vacations (which is rare) we love staying at boutique hotels mainly because it feels more intimate. I also find the interior decor of these hotels are just par to none.  Royalton is part of the Morgans Hotel Group which also offers the Hudson, Mondrian and Morgans in NYC as well as a few other wonderful looking properties in LA, San Francisco, South Beach and London.

We booked a Standard Room with a soaking tub. What is a Royalton soaking tub you ask?  See below

Royalton Soaking Tub
Isn't that just awesome?  I figured this was a great feature to have.  I mean who would not want to soak in this wonderful tub after a long day of trekking around the city in Winter?  

Another perk that sold us on this hotel other than the location was Forty-Four. Honestly we cannot wait to eat here and of course, have a cocktail or two.

So please stay tuned for our review of the Royalton, Forty-Four and all the other restaurants and sites that we will visit during our Christmas vacation NYC.  

If you can't wait for our review?  Check out this great review of the Royalton by Oyster

8 comments:

Islandia Lane said...

omgosh! I love the Royalton - dinner is great there too and the fireplaces during Christmas season make so much more sense (and are gorgeous btw) vs seeing them in the summer. The lobby has some great DJ's too - so much for you to do around there. I lived in that hood for 4 yrs - ask away if you have any questions!
And actually, kinda random timing - first time by your blog - I'll def be back! :-)

Beach Junkies said...

Thanks for the comment Islandia Lane! We definately would welcome some recomendations for restaurants and things to do, especially for Christmas Eve and Day. Thinking about doing the bus Holiday lights tour for Christmas Eve

audrey marie said...

such a fun thing to look forward to!!

Islandia Lane said...

keep in touch! I'll recommend some things for sure - is that Lights Tour with the City Tours bus? I LOVE those - I've never done one in the winter but I always say to do the double decker bus tours, they really are worth it. And also even a walking tour through mid-town of the lights is fun. The Macy Windows to the Saks Windows and Grand Central then along 5th ave and some on 6th ave too. great walk!

Beach Junkies said...

Islania Lane - Yes, it's the Lights Tour. We will gladly take any recommendations from you (also where can we go on Christmas Day when everything is closed?). Feel free to send us an email (it's on our sidebar). We would love to hear from you.

Lauryn said...

Um, can I please marry that tub and have its babies? Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme, but it is crazy gorgeous and it looks oh-so relaxing right now. You guys are going to have so much fun, especially visiting that time of year!

Why Girls Are Weird said...

Oh my goodness, that sounds like the perfect Christmas! And what a gorgeous hotel... you two are going to have a really amazing time!

Unknown said...

NY for Christmas just sounds awesome!! I hope you guys have a fun time!